Gas operated swab



Feb, 11932., N. H. RHCKER GAS OPERATED SWAB Filed April '10. 1950 NORMA] 1i RICKER g wenfoq,

Jam I alike; mzq

Palented Feb. 9, 1932 HGUSTON, TEXAS, A COBLPQEATION 6F TEK$ @AS ornnn rm SWINE Application filed .Qpril 10,

c-e, ll. W elewer .1110 l -e lz of me Henge ,ilie upper slile o shoulder 6 to support *he inner pipe 8. of she casing head. is el 'oegatea bull plug er cap e 'onneclecl wirh the head easing head and rests upon the or said casing head. illa. point outlet l ihe head 7 is decreased in ierne'ter enrl ezi'lenclerl upwardly in heed anal hull plug. The reduced is sloiptecl at 10 to allow an outlet ier for the swab is provided at the upper enrl oi the inner pipe. An extension ll on the said pipe is connected with a housing 12- in which is seated 2r cushion 13 of rubher or similar material. Said cushion has a central opening 15 to allow expansion of the rubber, and the upper end of the cap 9 end. This head fills the lower 1930, erial N0, 43,013.

on the casing has a second cushion i l to act with the buffer 13 in extreme eases WLQEG che buffer 13 is insulhcient to slop the swab Where it is forced upwardly heyonrl its normal stroke anal in case of desiaructioiji of the said buli'er 13.

The lower end of the erlnclion tube is connecterl by e. eoupling 16 an inlet tube 17, the lower enel of which is fiererl outwardly 18 to provide a hell opening he collect lhe gas entering the casing.

Wirhfen lhe eductio-n tube is shown a, sweh plunger or barrier 19 similar to lzhet shown in a era-pending application oi myself joinlly Wlell N Fletcher, Serial 313K452,

filed (lctohw 20, 1928. This plunger e3;- lnirlrieel on s enter is lit ihe luloe.

-, lie lilll 2 message is le pererl downwardly and at the lower swerelly e suppers on *4; eluepeo hethe oou 1i. U .o. lie (lise 24: is perrore r-Ll to allow the .f thereluhrougli.

lliDlOfl oi my {Eerie-e the plun -er upon the plate 24, the 3 h" alve seem will force ii; to ,losed nosi'lion. gas in the Well will ether in g -he iulve 1'? below the plunger and "will accuinulate until suilieient pressure is ohieineel to raise the plungerwilh its load of liquid. The liquid. will eventually he riischerged; through lhe openings 10 and outlet pipe 4 to storage. As the load. of liquid above the plunger is relieved, the plunger will be eccel eretecl in speed and will he forced. past the openings 10 by the gas pressure. The valve 20 will he forced. open by the iiuhl in the upper end of the tube, and the plunger will then drop back to the'hottom of the ecluction. tube.

The snbmergence of the lower end of the eduction tube will be regulated so that the proper load of liquid will rise in the eduction tube when the fluid pressure in the tube is relieved by the discharge of the load at each upward stroke of the plunger. The plunger will therefore sink through the liquid above the plate 24- and will seat thereon to close the valve 20 as previously noted. The gas will then gather below the plunger until sutiicient pressure is obtained to again lift the plunger and its load of liquid.

In the drawings, the plunger is shown as just starting upwardly with its load of liquid. The gas escaping past the lower end of the accumulator 18 in the casing is allowed a vent through the opening 25 in the casing below the casing head.

The advantage of my invention lies in its simplicity and its automatic action. The liquid may be raised to the surface with my apparatus where otherwise the gas pressure could not be utilized for the purpose.

What I claim as new is:

1. A device of the character described, including a well casing, a casing head thereon having a lateral discharge opening, an eduction tube in said casing, a plunger in said tube, an accumulator pipe at the lower end of said tube to receive gas from the Well, a perforated plate between said tube and accumulator pipe, a valve in saidplunger, and means on said plate to close said valve.

2. A device of the character described, including a well casing, a casing head thereon having a lateral discharge opening, an eduction tube in said casing, means to support said tube in said casing head, a bell-shaped gas accumulator at the lower end of said tube, a plunger in said tube above said accumulator movable from the lower end to the upper end of said tube and a normally open valve in said plunger adapted to be closed by gas pressure.

3. A device of the character described, including a well casing, a casing head thereon having a lateral discharge opening, an eduction tube in said casing. means to support said tube in said casing head. a bell-shaped gas accumulator at the lower end of said tube, a normally open valve in said plunger adapted to be closed by gas pressure, a plunger in said tube, and means at the upper end of said accumulator to support the said plunger at the lower end of its stroke.

4. A well swabbing device, including a cas-- ing, a casing head thereon, a swab plunger in said tube the full length of said tube, a normally open valve in said plunger adapted to be closed by gas pressure and means to accumulate gas from the well below said swab to raise the same with its load of liquid to the surface.

5. A well swabbing device, including a casing, a casing head thereon, an eduction tube, a swab plunger in said tube adapted to move the full length of said tube, a normally open valve in said plunger adapted to be closed an eduction tube, adapted to move by gas'pressure, a support for said plunger adjacent the lower end of said tu e, and means below said support to receive and accumulate gas from the well below said plunger.

6. A well casing, a casing head thereon, an eduction tube supported in said casing head, a swab plunger working in said tube, a normally open valve in said plunger adapted to be closed by gas pressure, a support for said plunger adjacent the lower end of said tube, and a pipe below said plate flared outwardly at its lower end to receive and accumulate gas from said well below said plunger.

7. The method of automatically raising liquid from wells containing a body of liquid and a seepage of gas thereinto, which con sists in interposing a vertically movable barrier between the bottom of a column of liquid in the well and a gas-receiving space under said column, and confining an accumulation of gas pressure in said space below said barrier to force upward said barrier for a dis-' tance limited only by the top of the well and the amount of gas, and maintaining an open discharge outlet above said space, whereby the gas pressure will automatically force up said liquid column and cause said liquid to flow from the well.

8. The method of automatically raising liquid from wells containing a body of liquid and a seepage of gas thereinto, which consists in interposing a vertically movable barrier between the bottom of a column of liquid in the well and a gas-receiving space under said column, and confining an accumulation of gas pressure in said space below said barrier to force upward said barrier for a distance limited only by the top of the well and the amount of gas, and maintaining an open discharge outlet above said space, whereby the gas pressure will automatically force up said liquid column and cause said liquid to fiow from the well, and repeating said operations by the automatic downward gravitation of said barrier upon the release of the gas pressure and its reascent after another confinement and accumulation of gas pressure below said barrier, as described.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature, this the 2nd day of April, A. D.

NORMAN H. RICKER. 

